Worker’s Rights & COVID19: Tips For Protecting Yourself
As the coronavirus pandemic wages on, the focus is now on getting back to work, with staunch arguments on both sides. Caught in the middle are workers, who need to work in the absence of federal aid, but are at an increased risk for catching the deadly virus. As you could probably expect, those who are in control of the means of production are in largely in favor of reopening businesses.
This line of thinking can often result in workers being exploited, hurt, and in this situation, much worse. But there are concrete steps that you can take to better protect yourself as you go back to work. In our latest blog, we discuss some ways that you can keep yourself and your colleagues safe during the COVID19 pandemic!
Clean Your Hands As Often As Possible
The first tip, whether you’re at home or at work, is to clean your hands as much as possible. Along with social distancing, cleaning your hands as often as possible is a verified way to reduce the transmission rate of the virus.
If you can, make sure that you also have on some sort of gloves that can be sanitized and replaced regularly. Gloves can act as a barrier between your skin and the virus, which will also reduce the rate of transmission. It’s important that you handle your gloves carefully, though, since mishandling them can simply transfer the virus from your gloves to your skin.
When you wash your hands, lather the entire surface area of your skin for at least 20-30 seconds to get rid of the virus. Finally,
Clean Surfaces You Work With Regularly
In addition to keep the surface of your skin clean, you’ll want to keep your work surfaces clean in the same manner. Before you begin working every day, clean off the surfaces you need with disinfectant. As the day goes on, you can disinfect periodically. Set a cleaning schedule, like once every hour or two. Setting an alarm can help you remember to stop working to clean your workspace.
Use your colleagues to help you with this if you can. Remind them to clean their own workspaces, too, so the workplace as a whole can stay clean and safe.
Demand PPE From Your Employer
If your employer demands that you and your colleagues return to work, then you should band together and demand that your employer have safety infrastructure in place, like PPE. PPE like masks, gloves, and sanitation. As employers, it is their job to ensure that everyone on their payroll is safe. If your employer isn’t doing what they need to to keep you safe, then you as workers should demand the resources you need.
If you are an employer, invest in PPE for your employees. Not only will it keep your employees safe, but it will help keep your business open as the pandemic rages on. If your employees all get sick, business will stay and may fail.
Work With Other Employees On Changes
Experts now agree that the summer will likely have little effect on the coronavirus, and the virus is expected to propagate until a vaccine is found and distributed. In the meantime, it’s important that you work together with your coworkers to make the safest environment possible.
Work with your managers to create social distancing and cleaning protocols, and stick to those plans as much as possible. Now, more than ever, teamwork and empathy are the keys to staying safe.
Stay Informed On COVID19 Developments
One of the most important things you can do as the pandemic develops is to stay up to date as much as possible. Health officials are learning more about the virus every day, like its lifespan on certain surfaces and the way it transmits. Over the next few months, medical and government officials will continue to learn more, so it’s crucial that you keep yourself and your colleagues informed.
Use trusted outlets like CNN, MSNBC, and the CDC to stay up-to-date on developments.
Take Time Off If You’re Sick
We can’t stress this enough–if you begin to feel sick, even if the symptoms don’t entirely coincide with the typical COVID19 symptoms, stay home. For some, the symptoms don’t quite match the symptoms that are commonly reported, and some are even asymptomatic. For your health and those working with you, take time off to assess your condition and recover.
If your condition worsens, be sure to call paramedics to transport you. Try not to travel to the hospital yourself, as it could put other people at risk.
Trust the Law Office of Javier Martinez, Jr. To Protect You!
Do you feel like your employer isn’t treating you or your colleagues fairly? The Javier Martinez, Jr. team can help! With years of experience working with the city’s workers, we can help you get the legal assistance you deserve. Call us today to get started!
